The Parmenter Foundation’s Third Annual Hoedown raised support for the children’s bereavement programs of CareGroup Parmenter Home Care & Hospice. More than 100 people enjoyed music, dancing and dinner on a beautiful fall evening in the festively decorated Wolbach Farm in Sudbury.

Guests enjoyed dancing, line dancing instruction and karaoke. Many participants climbed on the mechanical bull competing for the longest ride, only to be tossed off within seconds. Grace Gunderson of Cotuit won the prize after staying on the bull for 33 seconds. Susan Clark of Sudbury was honored as best dressed female with a denim outfit complete with a pink cowgirl hat. Fred Mannarino was best dressed male with a lit-up Western shirt.

Underlying all the fun was a serious cause – helping grieving children and teens to cope with the loss of a loved one. Before finishing high school, one in five youth will experience the death of a family member. Young people grieving the death of a loved one are especially vulnerable to mental health problems, such as depression or PTSD, and substance use. These youth often feel isolated in their grief, but rarely receive formal grief counseling.

HEART playsm and Camp Erin, bereavement programs for youth ages 3-19, are provided to our communities free of charge by CareGroup Parmenter Home Care & Hospice. Through conversation, visual expression, music, movement, writing and storytelling, these programs help grieving children to heal and develop resiliency. Jennifer Wiles, director of CareGroup Parmenter’s children’s bereavement programs, notes: “Our children’s bereavement programs offer a vital service to our communities. We are responding to a real, and often poorly understood, need for grieving children and teens to receive support and build resilience in the face of the death of a loved one. We are so grateful to all who recognize this need and support our programs.”

HEART playsm and Camp Erin are made possible thanks entirely to the generosity of philanthropic donors. For more information about how to participate in or give to these programs, visit www.parmenterfoundation.org.

Once again, residents of Wayland generously participated in the annual Wayland Postal Pantry Day on May 10th, 2015. Postal Carriers delivered bags and bags of non-perishable food to the Parmenter Food Pantry, helping to assure that The Pantry Program is well stocked again. Laurie Hojlo, Pantry Coordinator and Member of Parmenter’s Board of Trustees said, “The residents of Wayland who participated in the annual drive and the Postal Carriers who picked up the donations on their mail route and delivered the food to Parmenter’s Pantry have done a great community service.” The Parmenter Food Pantry provides monthly food support to about 85 Wayland households per month. The summer months are typically low months for contributions to The Pantry, so an influx of goods before the summer begins is very helpful. Thank you to all who supported this important community program of neighbors caring for neighbors.

Parmenter created the Grace Johnson Volunteer Award in 2005 as a way of recognizing individuals who demonstrate many of the values that Grace Johnson personified in her lifetime. In addition to Mrs. Johnson’s family demands, she shared her compassion and caring with countless organizations, causes and activities in the community, including her church, The Friends of Hospice and the Parmenter Board of Directors. In addition, Mrs. Johnson was also a devoted friendly visitor to a frail elder in Wayland for many years. Mrs. Johnson set a very high standard for community volunteering. Read More >>